Has Apple lost the creative bug?

Last week, I hinted at the content of Adobe’s CS4 package, and it is interesting to note that CS4 is now fully available for Macs. In the past, especially after Apple introduced its own Final Cut Pro video editing package, it could be said that Adobe, in a huff, stripped the Premiere component from the suite (but kept After Effects). It appeared they had considered the Windows market was their way of the future, sod the Mac market, it could look after itself. After all, you don't bite the hand that feeds you, and it can be argued that the Mac was born on the back of Photoshop, Pagemaker (later InDesign), Illustrator, After Effects and to a lesser degree, Premiere.

Apple, for whatever reason, decided to play hardball, Adobe figured they were being snubbed, so pulled out.

To put nails in the coffin, Apple bought and then re-released Shake on the Mac platform only and later, other applications including Lightroom. It finally seemed that Adobe might retreat even further from the Mac market in retaliation.

Next, Apple started down its production line of iPods, Nanos, ITouch and of course the iPhone. Microsoft countered with the Zune – really it did! – and iRiver was born. You’ve not heard of iRiver? Check it out, it’s a damn fine product let down by equally bad marketing.

But with CS4, Adobe is back: Does this mean a fightback or has Adobe made a bold guess that Apple has decided that the cash and the future is in “consumables”, and computers and software are now second fiddle?

Quite a few experts I know in this market seem to think so. We live in interesting times...